Why I’m advocating Bio-Banding for rugby

It has been a busy few weeks for me after I voiced my concerns on the future of rugby union in schools in an article published by Rob Kittson in the Guardian on 5th February this year.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2016/feb/05/england-six-nations-r...

Since that initial article I’ve been mentioned in various newspapers from ‘The Times to the ‘Financial Times’. There has also been the 10 min report on BBC ‘Inside Out’ and also very recently a 3 min report on the national BBC ‘One show’ program. It’s all been a bit manic but I’m pleased that various people are talking about the issue of concussion in schoolboy rugby. Let me first clarify, straight off the bat that I’m not advocating banning tackling in schoolboy rugby. That is totally irrational and has no logic. By banning tackling the game of rugby union no longer exists. Are we expecting our young players to then switch immediately into tackling as they pass 18 years of age? Now that is dangerous! Contact and tackling in rugby union is part of the game and should remain so.

‘Steffan, what do you know, you were a cricketer not a rugby player?’

Well, actually I was both. I was a dual professional and last of an extinct breed. I retired from rugby in the winter of 1998 after a 2-year fully professional career with Exeter Chiefs, Moseley RFC and Bristol RFC and after representing my country at schoolboy and youth level. I actually think I was a better rugby player but combining both cricket and rugby throughout my childhood, adolescent years and professional career meant I was always a reluctant tackler and shied away from contact. I was definitely not suited for the professional game. My philosophy of ‘I may give away one try but I would score three ‘ was never fully endorsed when other player’s careers depended on me not doing anything too ‘maverick’ at the back. Rugby had become too serious, predictable, structured and attack stifling for me. It was time to move on. So, as a highly rated school boy rugby player who gave it up early I’m in an ideal position now to be sympathetic to the needs of the young aspiring players I coach at schoolboy level.

So, what is my reasoning for selecting players based on their stages of development, their maturation age as opposed to their chronological age?

The game has changed! Simple. It’s no longer the game I played or the game the current schoolboy coaches played. The argument of, ‘we’ve always done it this way’, doesn’t carry much weight [excuse the pun]. There are a number of reasons why the game has changed over the last 20 years.

Coaching has changed. Defend for your lives!

It may be due to a reluctance to record concussion but I’m not aware of a high number of incidences at schoolboy level in the New Zealand. ‘It’s because they play in weight bands I hear you shout!’ Exactly, case closed your honor.

Even at the pro level there are very few severe head trauma injuries. I genuinely believe it’s down to the coaching philosophy at grass roots level. There are four key performance traits to rugby. Catch, Pass, Tackle and Evade.

These are the basic skills that the All Blacks drill into every rugby player who puts on the famous shirt but also is entwined into the fabric of rugby union in the southern hemisphere. During the England v Scotland 6 nations game the whole country went crazy over the fact a prop forward passed the ball to his winger on a wrap around. Seriously! Is that how low our skill levels have dropped? Should that not be the norm? If not then every schoolboy front row player in a Welsh comprehensive school in the 1980’s would be a British Lion now. It was a given back then. What’s gone wrong?

Spending an afternoon or an evening at a northern hemisphere game is like watching a game of American Football without the protective equipment. It’s all about set pieces, ‘dominating the contact area’, ‘winning the collisions’ and just generally ‘beating each other’ up on the rugby field. Due to the advent of defence coaches and their subsequent improvement of defensive organization space has become a rare commodity on the rugby field. How do you create space in the modern pro game? By making sure the attacking team have more players. How can you do that? By running into them and taking them out of the game. How can you make sure you win the collision? By making sure you have stronger and heavier players, especially in the ‘engine room’. That I believe is where the fundamental failings lie. The message coming down from the top is the wrong one. It’s no longer an evasion game. It’s a collision sport where the stronger will survive. The art of sidestepping has all but gone out of the game. Observing a number 12 side stepping their opposite man is like winning the lottery. It is a crying shame that the younger generation would never have seen the old greats play. I grew up watching the ‘101 great welsh tries’ on VHS [yes I’m old] and trying to copy Gerald Davies, David Duckham, Barry John, and Phil Bennett side step. That’s how you learn as a youngster. The young rugby player is impressionable and learns more by observing good practice and trial and error. That no longer happens. To me the two finest attacking players in the Northern Hemisphere aren’t good enough to play for Wales. Mathew Morgan and James Hook could cut any defense in two and run them ragged but it’s not the modern way.

The modern mentality is to try and deliberately run into the opposition to get them out of the game. Can we change this mindset? Probably, but it will take a full generation and will need a strong message and example form the top down.

In my own opinion the most important coach on the staff in the modern game is the Strength and Conditioning coach. Rugby players are now built, not coached. That’s not right.

Passing practice, no thanks I’ll do some Bench press

We are now in the age of the Strength and Conditioners and the athletic development programs like the EPP, EDP and various pathway acronym’s.

I introduced these into Wellington School 4 years ago as part of my previous role of head of elite development. It is something that gives our pupils that competitive advantage on the field and it’s the reason why some pupils choose our school to attend. We now have boys and girls who are fitter, faster and stronger. This has admittedly increased the risk because the lads are now bigger and are more committed in the contact area.

However by advocating ‘Bio-banding’ by no means do I say we no longer should do athletic development programmes. These programmes enhance pupils’ wellbeing both mental and physical and help them fulfill their potential in whatever sport they choose. Do we therefore stop rugby players from going to the gym? Of course not. We should encourage all young athletes to be the best that they can be. Being on a carefully planned athletic development pathway enhances their chances of fulfilling their dreams.

Bio-banding places the players who are heavier in their own category so how big they want to get is entirely up to them. One thing is guaranteed is they won’t be running directly at someone who is 3 stones lighter and has no time to go to the gym or doesn’t fit into one of the pathways for various reasons. They will run into someone their own size. Skill and rugby ability would now be the deciding factor if they were successful or not.

Some kids have no interest in being fitter, faster stronger. They just love playing rugby at school and have no aspirations to play a higher level. However they may enjoy the experience and maintain their participation in the sport as leavers. Asking them to tackle player 3 stones heavier will guarantee they won’t play when they leave. I wonder how many players have been lost to the sport after they leave school due to bad experiences. I suggest a large number. It may be ok at the top tiers for some but what about that middle band. How healthy is the game there?

There is the other side of bio-banding which I endorse .S+C trainers would now have to provide programmes which focus more on developing relative strength, think gymnastics and less ‘bodybuilding’ mass programs which is the easier method. This is a ‘healthier’ and more ‘functional’ addition to their athletic program in my mind. Getting strong doesn’t have to mean getting bigger. In simple terms!

The underlying factor in all the above points is the fact is that our youngsters are impressionable and what they watch on TV is not what’s safe for them to do during their adolescent years. It’s a different game at the top.

The environment has changed. Gaining a competitive advantage over other schools. Ahhhh the politics of it all!

The modern way is now also the ‘school way’. I was employed initially as Strength and conditioning coach at school and my brief was to build athletes that would compete on the sports field along with developing more robust and healthier children. Admittedly this isn’t the norm, as we are a minority who employ a full time S + C coach. However nearly all schools now employ a trainer in some form or another. The professional athlete mindset now has filtered down to the schools.

Rightly or wrongly private schools have the majority of rugby players in England. It’s different the other side of the severn bridge as the comprehensive schools, along with clubs still contribute a great deal to a young players development. Rugby in Wales is a religion. Comprehensive schools in England have academic pressures that outweigh the need for a competitive rugby fixture program unless they are now an affiliated rugby college. What happens in England is if you have any talent and show promise, private schools will offer scholarships, some extremely substantial, and the player will attend the school. This severely depletes state schools of any rugby players. This then leads to a smaller pool of talent and a depleted fixture program and resources. That’s how it works and it is across the board and not confined to varying regions. Some schools have official or sometimes ‘unofficial’ affiliation with professional teams and use this to entice players to their school. Private schools are big businesses and money is now not as freely available for families as it was 10-15 years ago. It’s now a result driven business, both academically and on the sports field. Why should I send my Jonny to your school? Having a large number 8 picking up from the base of the scrum and running 70m to score is marketing ‘gold dust’ for a private school. It is a result driven business and gaining a marketing competitive advantage is a priority for some schools. This leads to an over emphasis on results and competition and a lack of desire to make changes and put the needs of all first.

This is why my aim as Director of Sport is for our ‘point of difference’ and marketing ‘gold dust’ to be our wellbeing focus and basic skills enhancements through specialist coaches. Our focus is enhancing the journey of each pupil and give the tools to leave school a healthier and more skilled version of themselves.

This is why I am introducing ‘Bio-banding’ to Wellington School. I have no desire to win every game of rugby. However I have the desire to make sure they stay in the game and achieve a level that is appropriate to their skill-set. This may lead to school success and honors but it will never be my driving force. Give every player the opportunity to play and not scare them away by having to tackle a 16 stone prop at 12 years of age.

The success of Bio-banding does depend on having opposition. However change is happening.

Dominate the tackle area. Don’t get him down, knock him back!

The art of tackling has changed. The way it is coached at schoolboy level is no longer how they tackle at the professional level. As a schoolboy I was taught to put my cheek on their’ cheek’ and wrap my arms around their legs and let them fall over me at the very least. If I was confident in my body and my technique I could attempt to drive them back in the tackle but I passed on that one! Getting them down is all I wanted to do which allowed me to get back up and ready to run the ball back at them. It’s safe to say I loved the attacking side of the game.

Issues arise because our youngsters are impressionable and their heroes in the pro game are more than happy to put their head on the wrong side which creates an extra barrier, and equally happy to put their body on the line and give a chest height ‘attacking’ collision the may dislodge the ball in contact

Once again it’s about those fine margins and trying to gain a competitive advantage. Could we stop it? Yes. Could we ban tackles that are over the waist in schoolboy rugby, or introduce in age group rugby a law awarding free kicks to those who used their heads wrong? Possibly. It would be tough to officiate because it would be based on the opinion of the referee. However it would certainly reduce the chance of concussion due to poor technique.

It’s really important that I state that I’m only introducing bio banding to years 8 to 10 [13-15yrs]. Under 12’s are normally not that different and over 16 years is a time to mentally mature and cope with the different challenges sport provides. Sometimes that may be the realisation that sport isn’t equal and sometimes life isn’t fair. Key lessons like the harder you work the better your performances will be are essential for any young athlete to appreciate moving into adulthood. Hard work really does pay off. However the benefits gained at this stage of their lives will be solely down to hard earned efforts and not down to Mother Nature and hormonal imbalances.

On the whole, but there are always exceptions, between the age of 13 and 15 the differences are not down to hard work. These age groups have the biggest discrepancies in terms of stages of development and maturity. The weight differences here can be between 1 and 3 stones or even more. Size issues are magnified at this age. This is also the best ages to instill core values, increase power, speed and improve basic skill levels. It’s the age range where their CNS is like a sponge. Everything they do is absorbed. This is why bio banding is key at this age. Shouldn’t we make this stage of development the most productive and enjoyable? I think so.

There is also a key message here that’s geared to the early developers and something that I really am passionate about. How many times have we seen the ‘superstar’ at under 14s level fall away by the time they are 17 and subsequently drop out of sport. They have dominated sport due to an early maturation spurt and haven’t really had to break sweat. Their basic skill levels haven’t been tested and not been remotely enhanced because they dominate every game. However, when everyone is their size, because it will happen, they haven’t the skill sets that the smaller players have developed in trying to avoid the larger players. They also haven’t the mental toughness and mindset to cope with failure or being tackled because they haven’t had to deal with that for the last 4 years. Ultimately they leave the sport and simply become another child superstar. I have seen it so many times.

Bio banding ensures that every weight band/category is physically, mentally and skillfully challenged at the appropriate level. The big boys can now no longer just run straight with the ball under the armpit. They have to side step. Everyone is his or her size! The smaller highly skillful late developers now have to up their game because everyone is highly skilled. How can they dominate a game? Find a way to be better than your opposition.

Bio banding really does work for everyone. Logistically for schools it is difficult. How can 4-year groups all train together on 2-3 afternoons per week? Yes I understand that, but isn’t that a minor issue compared to having 25% of schoolboy injures being concussion and simply doing nothing about it? I’m certainly not happy with that and to steal an old adage, not on my watch!

Steffan Jones is Director of Sport at Wellington School